Seven days in the book world with Chris Holm

Chris Holm grew up in Syracuse, New York. His first literary award was a Hershey bar after his three page story ‘The Alien Death from Outer Space’ (with red crayon illustrations) landed the second grader in the principal’s office. Chris’ short fiction has appeared in various publications including Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and Thuglit. He doesn’t have writerly superstitions; he’ll write anywhere, anytime on anything. His books have netted him multiple nominations and won him many awards (Killing Kind recently won an Anthony Award for Best Novel) Chris and his wife live in Portland, Maine. 

Here is Chris’ week in his own words.

I just returned from Murder and Mayhem in Milwaukee. (Don't worry; it's a conference, not a killing spree.) Since I live in Maine, that means I had some dedicated reading time while flying to and from. The problem was, the book I’m in the middle of at home—Colson Whitehead’s beautiful and harrowing THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD—is signed, so I didn’t want to stuff it in my carry-on. Instead, I grabbed a couple new books I’ve been eager to dive into.

On the way there, I read Iain Reid’s I’M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS. It was spare, propulsive, and unsettling in a Lynchian way—the sort of book you want to make your friends read so you can talk about it with them. It’s on the short side, too, which made it perfect for a single sitting.

On the way back, I read Domenic Stansberry’s THE WHITE DEVIL. Stansberry’s Edgar-winning THE CONFESSION made me an instant fan, but he hasn’t put out anything new in six years. THE WHITE DEVIL, which is inspired by the 1612 John Webster play of the same name, ran the risk of reading more like a formal exercise than a novel capable of standing on its own, but Stansberry’s far too skilled an author to fall into that trap. Instead, it demonstrates noir’s timeless quality, and made me curious to learn more about the crime that inspired Webster’s play.

I was also fortunate enough to get an early look at Steph Post’s forthcoming LIGHTWOOD, a gritty tale of betrayal and revenge set in rural Florida. Though temperatures in Maine have plummeted of late, Post’s sense of place is so strong, I could darn near feel the sweat roll down my back while I read. It’s always nice when books I read for work prove to be a pleasure.

Chris' week in a nutshell

The Underground Railroad (2016)

I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2016)

The White Devil (2016)

Lightwood (Jan 2017)

Red Right Hand is out now 9780316259538

Killing Kind is out now in paperback 9780316259521

More at http://chrisfholm.blogspot.com/